SWIMMING: Greenwood grad Drennan thinks about next phase in life

Published 5:30 pm, Friday, June 13, 2014

Jocelin Drennan competes in the 1500 meter freestyle during the City of Midland Aquatics Swim Meet Thursday at Doug Russell Pool. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Jocelin Drennan competes in the 1500 meter freestyle during the City of Midland Aquatics Swim Meet Thursday at Doug Russell Pool. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: JAMES DURBIN

SWIMMING: Greenwood grad Drennan thinks about next phase in life

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

Jocelin Drennan is coming to the realization that her swimming career is winding down.

Drennan, a Greenwood grad, has one year remaining at the University of Nevada, and she knows she doesn’t want to completely separate from the sport she loves. But she’s also ready to start the next phase in her life.

“I’m not going to quit completely, and I still want to stay in shape,” said Drennan, who is on pace to graduate next May with a degree in broadcast journalism. “I’m thinking about doing triathlons, and I think I may take that up. I definitely want to keep swimming in my routine and my life. It’s been a part of my life since I could barely walk.”

Drennan is back competing at the Frost Bank West Texas Invitational at Doug Russell Pool this weekend in preparation for her final season of swimming at Nevada.

Drennan has returned to Midland every summer since she graduated from Greenwood to swim with the club she’s been a part of since those early days. It’s not only a chance to keep training at a high level, but also to see family and friends.

Drennan said her college coach, Abby Steketee, has a philosophy that a swimmer has the freedom to train how they need to during the summer.

Drennan, who competed in three different events on Friday at the meet, said she has a specific weight program that the Nevada strength and conditioning coach provides, but she also said coming back and working with the COM staff helps her get ready for the college season.

“I really enjoy coming back, swimming with everybody and catching up,” said Drennan, who went to the state swim meet all four years at Greenwood. “Midland is going home for me. I always worry about, ‘Am I ready? Am I going to be on ?’ I make sure to stick to my plans. I talk with my college coach and talk with (COM Aquatics coach) Bob (Kizer). It’s a good summer, and good time to keep up the training.”

Drennan’s events in college have varied from the 200-yard individual medley to the 1,650-yard freestyle. Drennan, who swam the 100 butterfly and 200 IM in high school, said last year her coaches asked her to do more distance events.

This past season as a junior at Nevada, Drennan swam the 500 freestyle, 400 IM and 1,650 freestyle.

Drennan won the C Final, which was the 17th best time, at the Mountain West Conference meet this past year, and she was 22nd in the 1,650 freestyle. Drennan said the plan is to swim the same events this year.

“I thought it would be a great challenge, and the coach said, ‘I believe you can do it,’ and I said let’s go for it,” Drennan said. “I focused on my distance swimming my junior year.”

Kizer said having a swimmer such as a Drennan return to the program helps show the younger swimmers how to train and that if they keep training hard they can succeed and reach their goals.

Drennan does do some different dry land training, but Kizer said that in the pool, Drennan is just another part of the team.

“It’s a great example when you see somebody so committed, so dedicated and is a great leader that comes back and is a part of your group,” Kizer said. “All of those are a big benefit for those younger kids because they see what’s next.”

Drennan knows what’s next is her final season of swimming, but she’s also ready for what the next phase in her life may hold.

“It’s weird to think I have one more season, one more year,” Drennan said. “It’s like my days are numbered and you go into ‘retired mode.’ But it’s also really exciting, too, to get to switch gears and start another chapter in my life.”

COM LEADS STANDINGS

Three different City of Midland Aquatics team swimmers won a trio of events Friday during the second day of the 69th Annual Frost Bank West Texas Invitational.

D’Avante Polk won the 50-meter butterfly, 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle in the boys 11-12 year old division.

Mollie Wright won the 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 400 IM in the girls 13-14 division.

Braden Vines took the top spot in the boys 13-14 year old division in the 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 400 IM.

COM Aquatics is leading the team standings with 445 points after the second day and is 97 points ahead of the Las Cruces Aquatic Team.